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Formatting Rules to Live By

From Avram Piltch, for About.com

5 of 10

Use Subheads for Sections of a Document

Examples from "Where to Find a Cat to Adopt"

Good:

Rescue Organizations

These volunteer-driven groups are springing up in abundance all over the U.S., Canada, and in other countries too. Some groups are fortunate enough to have their own "shelter"; most depend on volunteer foster homes to care for the cats until a permanent home can be found....

"Free to a Good Home"

Perhaps a neighbor or co-worker has a litter of kittens they're trying to give away, or you happen upon a classified ad in the newspaper. Consider that taking one of these kittens is encouraging the donors in their folly of failing to spay/neuter the parent cat(s)....

Bad:

Rescue organizations are volunteer-driven groups are springing up in abundance all over the U.S., Canada, and in other countries too. Some groups are fortunate enough to have their own "shelter"; most depend on volunteer foster homes to care for the cats until a permanent home can be found....

Another way to find a cat is through "free to a good home" ads. Perhaps a neighbor or co-worker has a litter of kittens they're trying to give away, or you happen upon a classified ad in the newspaper. Consider that taking one of these kittens is encouraging the donors in their folly of failing to spay/neuter the parent cat(s)....

Notice that the good example empowers readers to scan the document and decide where they want to pause and read for more detail. The bad example forces the reader to waste time combing through a wall of text.

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